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Ueli Steck does laps on the Nose at El Cap

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26 May 2010 - 2:01am
the ghost who walks
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4 hours 40 minutes isn't bad when jetlagged and climbing with a stranger.

 

The words of the man himself from his webpage are ...

Back in the Yosemite National Park    
Friday, 21 May 2010 03:32
Since last year nothing much has changes. The landscape is still breathtaking. In the eveing light we reached the Valley. El Cap is shining red. A dramatic scenery. The clouds over the granit seemed to burn. My climbing partner Alex Honnold has been in the Valley already for some days. We met each other for the first time at the El Cap Meadwos. Alex is full of beans. If I would not know what he has already climbed in his life, I would think he is a normal, motivated climber. Alex is 24 years old and has climbed the most wildest things.
I left Bern on Monday morning, May 17, 2010 at 5.30. It was a long journey to San Francisco, where I arrived late in the eveing of the same day. Tuesday, May 18, we spent doing the last preparations. After we left to the Valley. I felt like being on the way nonstop for two days. And there I met Alex full of beans. Tomorrow, Wednesday we will climb the Nose on El Cap. Most climbers need three days to climb this route. We want to be back in the valley in the evening.
Wednesday morning, May 19, 2010: Alex and I are at the entry. We just met each other and today we climb together for the fist time in our lives. Between us 30 meters of rope and some intermediate belays. Slowly I start to forget my jetlag and enjoy the golden granit. After the Sickel Ledge we pass a second rope team. Kindly they let us pass. We climb together and quickly we gain height. Doit Tower: we are on the way since one hour. We make a first stop to eat and drink something. It is like a solo: you never have to stop. Just climb, step by step. Now the route is more technical and we need some rope tricks to overwhelm the Kingswing. Short afterwards we find ourselves underneath the famours Great Roof. Again we have to pass rope teams. Fortunately that Alex is so famous in the States. Immediately they let us go by. The Great Roof is pretty wet. Also the cracks and the pitches above are not in perferct conditions.
We need 4 hours and 40 minutes to climb the 1000 meters hight granit. We are happy. We never thought being to fast. For me it's the first time that I climb El Capitan in one day.
Thursday morning, May 20, 2010: Alex and I stand at the same place as yesterday morning. We climb the route once again. Today our confidence in each other is much higher. Though we are a bit tired from our yesterday's climb we move on well. Today: 4 hours and 20 minutes.
Let's see how it will get on. Anyway: we are having a great time. Just climb. We complement one another and the team seems to function.

It's good to see a top alpinist who can also climb rock really well.  

 

update:  now I see he wants to break the speed record...

 

http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/ueli-steck-going-for-speed-record-on-el.html

 

The pressures on him now, surely it's better to surprise everyone in breaking the record, rather than announcing what he want's to do, just in case he fails.

Shutchoassup biarch njus climb ehbro ?

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26 May 2010 - 9:17am
#1
Frognz
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Broken link Innocent

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26 May 2010 - 9:35am
#2
sbaclimber
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..and they went back the next day and did it in 4:20Cool

http://www.uelisteck.ch/aktuelles/aktuelles/173-2010-05-21-02-32-54.html

 

...sorry haven't quite figured out how to get the english version yet...

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26 May 2010 - 10:46pm
#3
dogman
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He's a weapon!

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30 May 2010 - 2:01am
#4
the ghost who walks
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update on Ueli's website, now back in English translation is

http://www.uelisteck.ch/en/news/news/173-2010-05-21-02-32-54.html

Shutchoassup biarch njus climb ehbro ?

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28 June 2010 - 11:16pm
#5
the ghost who walks
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In June they got their time down to 3hrs 45 minutes for the Nose, but on their next attempt Ueli had a 25m fall whilst simul-climbing so they took a break.

It's a superb effort even though they never got close to the record.

Shutchoassup biarch njus climb ehbro ?

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20 July 2010 - 8:34pm
#6
cragrat
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News link: Alex Honnold, most recently in the media for his speedy solo link-up of the Regular Northwest Face and the Nose, returned to El Cap with Sean Leary to do a triple link-up of the Nose, Salathé Wall, and Lurking Fear in a single day.

The pair began at 8 p.m., climbing the Nose in 4:15. Then they started up Salathé, ascending in six hours, before finishing the day with Lurking Fear. The two were seen eating pizza on Curry Deck at 8 p.m. the next evening, meaning they climbed 85 pitches (2,400 meters) in 24 hours.

Back in May, Honnold and Ueli Steck attempted to break the current speed record on the Nose set by Hands Florine and Yuji Hirayama (set on 7/2/2008 at 2:37).

Flickr

Paynes Ford Blog

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5 October 2010 - 9:48pm
#7
cragrat
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUWBbepsdmY

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Paynes Ford Blog

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13 October 2010 - 1:26am
#8
the ghost who walks
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Yeah I love his attitude, Uli represents the epitome of physical and technical achievment. 

He's not the first guy to run in crampons though or to train really hard. I was doing that 25 years ago, and thats nothing special compared to what other climbers were doing then. 

Due to the massive improvement in time Uli has achieved in soloing European alpine faces I can't help wondering what is so special about him compared to all the other serious athletes who have come before him.  Either he is using a very sophisticated training program, which he should share with the climbing community; or he has taken the easier path to fame and fortune and is using performance drugs such as EPO.  Unfortunately I suspect the latter.  His times are just too quick to believe.  However I would be happy if I was proved wrong in my assumptons.

Shutchoassup biarch njus climb ehbro ?

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26 January 2011 - 6:09am
#9
Stephen_b
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He was training with the swiss olympic team's sport scientists, underwent some sort of weight loss diet (!) and on the eiger at least he was climbing on steps kicked on an attempt a couple of days prior. I'd like to believe he wasn't taking performance enhancing drugs, seems plausible enough to me. Plus he seems to have a kind of confidence moving fast on 'slow terrain' that it looks like he has a death wish - which must help!

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